A police officer has been fined for accessing confi-dential computer records at work.

PC Stephen Mitchell, who works for Northumbria Police's Newcastle Area Command, admitted the three data protection breaches at a police misconduct tribunal last month.

He was fined for code of conduct breaches under the Police (Conduct) Regulations Act 2004.

The Chronicle understands PC Mitchell was looking up friends of his wife Julie, 40, to see if they had criminal records.

Their relationship soured when Julie began to organise a school reunion through the Friends Reunited website and after 10 years of marriage the couple parted in August last year.

Julie, who has a 10-year-old daughter with PC Mitchell and an 18-year-old girl from a previous relationship, now lives with old school friend Stephen Vacher, 40, in the Whitley Bay area.

Unemployed Mr Vacher complained to Northumbria Police's professional standards department about his partner's ex-husband after he claimed he had looked him up on the police computer.

Last week Det Chief Insp Jim Rowley wrote to Mr Vacher to tell him about the outcome of PC Mitchell's misconduct panel, which was chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Susan Sim.

DCI Rowley said: "I regret that the conduct of the officer in question fell below the standard expected of a serving police officer."

Julie said: "I've been told he's been fined three days' wages. I don't think this is enough. Now he's back at work.

"What safeguards are they putting in place to ensure this does not happen to anyone else?"

Northumbria Police would not disclose details of PC Mitchell's fine and would not reveal how many other officers had been investigated for abusing the confidential computer records.

A spokesman said: "We can confirm an officer based at Newcastle Area Command admitted three cases of wrongful access to confidential data and was disciplined.

"All police officers and staff are aware whenever they access a force terminal of the importance of data protection.

"Audit trails must be carried out on a regular basis by line managers and wrongful access will result in disciplinary procedures.

"In terms of how much he was fined, this is not something we would disclose."

PC Mitchell, who is originally from Glasgow, moved to the North East when he married Julie.

His father, Jim, 72, was murdered in 2001 by his neighbour Jim Drummond, 65.

The men lived next door to one another in the Moss Park area of the Scottish city and had been embroiled in an eight-year dispute.

Mr Mitchell had been out with his wife Ann celebrating their 41st wedding anniversary when he was attacked by Drummond, who bludgeoned him to death with a plank of wood.

Drummond, who had just found out he was due to be evicted from his home as a result of his dispute with Mr Mitchell when he struck, pleaded guilty to culpable homicide and was sentenced to eight years in prison.